Bats: Hunters of the Night
Introduction
Meet the bats!
Did you know that there are over 1,400 species of bats living on every continent except Antarctica? In Washington State alone, there are 14 different species of bats!
Bats are amazing because they are the only mammal that can fly, they navigate in the dark using sound, have incredible immune systems, and keep bug populations under control!
These little creatures may be small, but they play a big role in keeping nature balanced! Let’s dive in and learn more about these nighttime flyers.
How well do you know bats?
Test your knowledge in this true or false quiz!
Adaptations
Bats flying
How bats take flight
Bats are the only flying mammals. Unlike birds, who have stiff wings, bat wings are made of a flexible membrane stretched between elongated finger bones making them more agile and flexible in the air. When in flight, bats’ heart rates can soar up to over 1,000 beats per minute, and their body temperature raises to 44° C — the maximum temperature that a mammal can withstand is 45° C so they are pushing the limit of what is possible for mammals!
Bats and humans have a lot in common! Both species have arms, but in bats, these evolved into wings. The wing structure is essentially a hand, with skin stretched between the bones that let's them fly!
Let's explore how the anatomy of a bat's arm compares to a human's, can you spot the similarities?
Images courtesy of the
National Parks Service.
How bats find food
If you’re out at dusk, you might spot them swooping through the air as they hunt for insects. Bats are great at controlling bug populations, as they eat huge amounts of insects like mosquitoes, moths, and beetles every night. By keeping insect numbers in check, bats help protect crops, reduce the need for pesticides, and maintain a healthy environment.
But how do bats find all these bugs at night? With ecolocation!
Bats are nocturnal and use echolocation (sonar) to find their prey in the dark. They emit high-pitched sound waves that bounce off insects, allowing them to "see" and catch them mid-flight. They can tell the distance, size, speed, and direction the bug is moving using echolocation.
Once the bug is sportted they scoop the insects into their mouths using the membranes of their wings!
Watch the video below to listen to what ecolocation sounds like:
How bats resist disease
When bats get sick they don't have an inflammation response, so they can be sick without showing it or getting a fever.
How bats get ready for winter
How do bats get ready for winter?
Bats are active in the summer and will either migrate to a warmer climate or rest in the winter when insects are scarce. They enter a state of
torpor to conserve energy. Their heart rate drops, breathing slows, and moving around is kept to a minimum which helps them survive on stored fat and sleep through the winter.
Why do bats roost upside down while they rest?
- Hanging upside down allows bats to roost in places that are hard for predators to reach. Many bats roost in caves, tree branches, or under bridges, where they can stay hidden and safe from animals like owls, snakes, or raccoons.
- Bats need to drop down to take flight, and since they can't take off from the ground like birds, hanging upside down lets them easily drop into flight. This is much faster and more efficient than having to take off from a flat surface for them.
How do bats hang upside down?
- Bats have special locking tendons in their feet. When they hang upside down, the tendons in its feet automatically lock around the roosting surface (like a branch or cave ceiling). The tendons evolved so that the more the bat hangs, the tighter they grip. This means the bat doesn't have to use any energy to keep holding on—it just relaxes and lets its body weight do the work.
How bats help farmers
Bats eat up pests that would otherwise destroy crops.
Bats drop valuable guano (poop) that gives the soil extra nutrients.
Activites
Coloring Activity
Download and print the coloring sheet below to color in some of Washingtons local bats! Bonus points for drawing in your own bugs for them to catch. Move the slider to see how I colored my page in and then make your own!
Word Search
Click and drag on the letters below to highlight the words you have found! Refresh the page to scramble the letters again.
Bats flying at sunset.
Where can we view bats?
You can find them at dusk near water sources or open areas, where they tend to hunt for insects, and watch for their erratic flight patterns (opposed to birds smooth swooping patterns).
Remember, when you see a bat, just look, don't touch!
How can we help bats?
Bats help us, how can we return that care?
One way is to turn off your porch lights at night and planting native plants and trees that support wildlife (like the bugs that bats eat) and allow bats to roost during the daytime!
Learn more about how to help bats and prevent threats on the
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website.
How to build a Bat box!
If you want to support bats, consider setting up a bat house in your yard. Bat houses provide safe places for bats to roost during the day, helping to conserve local bat populations.
Images courtesy of The Wildlife Trusts.
Materials
- Untreated rough sawn timber like plywood or cedar. Make sure the wood is rough, so bats can grip it easily.
- Tape measure and pencil
- Hammer
- Saw
- Nails
- Brackets
- A trusted adult to help you build the bat box
Build the box
- Cut your wood up with an adult.
- Create several small chambers inside (about ¾” wide for Little Brown Bats and 1-1.5” wide for Big Brown Bats).
- Add a landing pad with a rough surface underneath the entrance for the bats to climb up.
Add Vents & Protection
- Make sure the box has small holes or vents to let air in and out. This helps keep the box from getting too hot.
- Seal any cracks with waterproof caulk to keep rain out.
- Attach brackets to the box so you can hang it up later.
Place the Bat Box
- Find a place that is 10-16 feet above the ground.
- Make sure the box is in a sheltered, wind-free spot, and it should get some sunlight during the day (at least 6 hrs).
- Install the box on the side of a building or sturdy pole, not on trees.
- Make sure the box is away from areas that are easy for predators to access and areas with a lot of human activity or noise.
Bat Benefits
Bats are important to our ecosystems. They help control pests, pollinate plants, and contribute to biodiversity. By creating bat-friendly habitats and learning about their important role in nature, we can help protect these incredible mammals for future generations.
Bats flying at sunset
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